Relay



July 30, 1963 J. E. JENNINGS RELAY Filed July 15, 1960 INVENTOR J0 FMMETT JEA/N/NGJ FIG.2

6% J5 mm ATTORNEY United States Patent RELAY J0 Emmett Jennings, San Jose, Calif., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Jennings Radio Manufacturing Corporation, San Jose, Calif., a corporation of Delaware Filed July 15, 1960, Ser. No. 43,081 7 Claims. (Cl. 200-87) This invention relates to relays, and more particularly to a relay having a balanced switch armature permitting faster and more dependable operation than heretofore possible.

The present invention lends itself particularly to use with a vacuum switch in which air is exhausted from thearea of the switch contacts thus promoting fast action and reducing wear of the contacts. l

The main object of the invention is the provision of a relay which is relatively inexpensive to make, has a high operating speed, is adjustable in use to suit difierent circuit designs, and is resistant to vibration and shock.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be seen in the following specification and drawings. I do not limit myself to the showing made by said description and drawings, since I may use variant forms of the invention within the scope of the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal section through the relay and harness.

FIG. 2 is a perspective of the relay of FIG. 1 with a portion of the envelope broken away for clarity.

In terms of broad inclusion, the invention contemplates the provision of a relay having a balanced switch arm operable by an electromagnet; and in which a magnet is substituted for the usual recovery spring so as to permit the action of the contacts in a vacuum.

In detail, and with reference first to FIG. 1, the preferred embodiment of the invention disclosed includes an envelope generally designated 1, which may be of any desired material such as glass or ceramic. Passed through one end of the envelope 1, and in sealed relation therewith are three leads, 2, 3, 4 of suitable material such as tungsten. The center lead 3 is provided with a yoke 8 including a pair of spaced ears 5, 6 which are apertured to receive therethrough a pin 7 (FIG. 2).

Swingably supported on yoke 8 is an elongated metal armature 10 to the central portion of which is fixedly secured a U-shaped piece 11 having a pair of apertured ears 12, 13 adapted to be disposed alongside ears 5, 6 respectively of yoke 8. The opposite ends of armature 10 are provided with a pair of soft iron disks 15, 16 secured at right angles to the length of armature 10. Secured to armature 10 are a pair of contacts 17, 18 which are adapted to engage fixed contacts 2, 4 respectively. At this point it may be noted that the above described structure constitutes a single pole double throw switch by which central lead 3 may be connected to lead 2 or 4 alternatively.

Outside of envelope 1, but in closely adjacent relationship to disk 16, is a permanent magnet 20, the function of which is to attract disk 16 and engage contact 18 with contact 4, thereby urging contact 17 away from contact 2. Outside of envelope 1, but in closely adjacent relationship to disk 15, is an electromagnet 21 which, when energized, urges disk 16 away from contact 4 and, of course, urges contact 17 into engagement with contact 2.

The above described arrangement provides an effective means for making and breaking two circuits as indicated, and at the same time it has all of the advantages of a vacuum switch. It will be noted that the permanent magnet 20 obviates the use of a spring on armature 10 thus simplifying the mechanism within the vacuum. In this connection, the yoke 11 may be welded or brazed to the ice armature 10 and the yoke 8 may be spot welded to the center pole 3 thus providing for proper spacing of the contacts in essentially one operation.

The relay also lends itself to close adjustment in addition to the obvious adjustability of the strength of electromagnet 21. Such adjustment may be carried out by providing a harness or clip 25 fitting on the envelope 1 and provided with a flange 26 formed with an elongated hole 27 for receiving therethrough a bolt 28 holding the mount 29 of permanent magnet 20. By this structure the magnet 20 may be moved toward and away from disk 16 to vary the force with which it pulls contact 18 away from contact 4.

Similarly, the housing 30 of electromagnet 21 may be adjustably secured to harness 25 by bolt 31 to vary the effect of electromagnet 21 if desired.

Another advantage of the above described structure is that the magnets may readily be removed from the switch for repair, replacement of coils and for other purposes, without disturbing the switch.

The soft iron disks may be curved to suit the curvature of the envelope 1, thus permitting said disks to be brought as closely as possible to their associated magnets. Also they may be curved to obviate interference with the envelope as they swing from one position to the other.

One of the most important advantages of the instant invention is the balanced armature 10 which is not afiected --by vibration and shock and still provides a very quick action of the switch.

I claim:

1. In a relay, a rigid switch armature having a longitudinal axis therethrough swingably supported in a free and balanced manner at a point intermediate its ends and connected at said point with an electrical circuit, a first magnet positioned radially outwardly of one end of said armature relative to said point and adapted to attract said one end for urging said armature to swing in one direction about said intermediate point, and a second magnet positioned radially outwardly of the opposite end of said armature relative to said point and adapted to attract said opposite end for urging said armature to swing in the opposite direction, said first and second magnets having their axis therethrough in alignment and lying approximately parallel and adjacent said longitudinal axis through said armature whereby their magnetic field provides a torque action on said armature, a pair of fixed contacts, and a pair of movable contacts respectively mounted on opposite ends of said armature for engagement with said fixed contacts, an evacuated envelope interposed between said magnets and said armature, said armature lying with its longitudinal axis thereof off set to one side of the axis of said first and second magnets and having attached magnetic field responsive members adjacent each end of the armature in a transverse manner to the longitudinal axis of said armature.

2. A relay comprising: an evacuated envelope, a pair of fixed contacts within said envelope, a switch armature having a longitudinal axis therethrough and within said envelope swingably supported on a pivot at a point intermediate its ends and provided with a pair of movable contacts at opposite ends respectively of said armature each adapted to engage a corresponding fixed contact of said pair upon swinging of said armature, means for connecting said armature with a source of current through said pivot, a first magnet positioned outside said envelope but adjacent one of said ends of said armature for attracting said one end whereby one of said movable contacts is engaged with a corresponding one of said fixed contacts, a second magnet positioned outside said envelope but adjacent the opposite end of said armature for attracting said opposite end for engaging the other of said movable contacts with its corresponding contact and for removing said one movable contact from engagement with its corresponding fixed contact, said first and second magnets having their axis therethrough in alignment and lying approximately parallel and adjacent said axis through said armature whereby their magnetic field provides a torque action on said armature, said armature lying with its longitudinal axis thereof off set to one side of the axis of said first and second magnets and having attached magnetic field responsive members adjacent each end of the armature in a transverse manner to the longitudinal axis of said armature.

3. In a relay having an hermetically sealed envelope and a plurality of electrically conductive leads extending into the envelope to provide at least one pair of spaced fixed contacts within the envelope and a conductive lead common to both fixed contacts, an elongated armature having a longitudinal axis and pivotally supported Within the envelope in a balanced manner about an axis laterally displaced from the longitudinal axis of the armature and intersecting the armature at a point intermediate its ends, said common lead being conductively connected to said armature, a first magnet outside said envelope disposed radially outwardly from one end of the armature relative to said pivotal axis and adapted to exert a force on said armature tending to swing the armature in one direction about said pivotal axis, a second magnet outside said envelope disposed radially outwardly from the opposite end of said armature relative to said pivotal axis and adapted to exert a force on said armature tending to swing the armature in the opposite direction about said pivotal axis, said first and second magnets having their axes laterally displaced on the side of the longitudinal axis opposite said pivotal axis whereby an imbalance in the forces exerted by said magnets applies torque to said armature to swing the armature about the pivotal axis, and movable contacts mounted on opposite ends of the armature and movable therewith to engage and disengage selected fixed contacts.

4. The combination according to claim 3 in which the axes of said magnets are substantially axially aligned and extend substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the armature.

*5. The combination according to claim 3, in which said magnets comprise a sub-assembly detachably secured on said envelope and adjustable to vary the spacing between the longitudinal axis of the armature and the axes of said magnets.

6. The combination according to claim 3, in which at least one of said magnets is selectively adjustable toward or away from the associated end of the armature to vary the force exerted thereby on said armature.

7. The combination according to claim 3, in which one of said magnets is a permanent magnet and the other magnet is an electromagnet.

FOREIGN PATENTS Italy Oct. 5, 1939 France Dec. 15, 1944 

1. IN A RELAY, A RIGID SWITCH ARMATURE HAVING A LONGITUDINAL AXIS THERETHROUGH SWINGABLY SUPPORTED IN A FREE AND BALANCED MANNER AT A POINT INTERMEDIATE ITS ENDS AND CONNECT AT SAID POINT WITH AN ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT, A FIRST MAGNET POSITIONED RADIALLY OUTWARDLY OF ONE END OF SAID ARMATURE RELATIVE OF SAID POINT AND ADAPTED TO ATTRACT SAID ONE END FOR URGING SAID ARMATURE TO SWING IN ONE DIRECTION ABOUT SAID INTERMEDIATE POINT, AND A SECOND MAGNET POSITIONED RADIALLY OUTWARDLY OF THE OPPOSITE END OF SAID ARMATURE RELATIVE TO SAID POINT AND ADAPTED TO ATTRACT SAID OPPOSITE END FOR URGING SAID ARMATURE TO SWING IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION, SAID FIRST AND SECOND MAGNETS HAVING THEIR AXIS THERETHROUGH IN ALIGNMENT AND LYING APPROXIMATELY PARALLEL AND ADJACENT SAID LONGITUDINAL AXIS THROUGH SAID ARMATURE WHEREBY THEIR MAGNETIC FIELD PROVIDES A TORQUE ACTION ON SAID ARMATURE, A PAIR OF FIXED CONTACTS, AND A PAIR OF MOVABLE CONTACTS RESPECTIVELY MOUNTED ON OPPOSITE ENDS OF SAID ARMATURE FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID FIXED CONTACTS, AN EVACUATED ENVELOPE INTERPOSED BETWEEN SAID MAGNETS AND SAID ARMATURE, SAID ARMATURE LYING WITH ITS LONGITUDINAL AXIS THEREOF OFF SET TO ONE SIDE OF THE AXIS OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND MAGNETS AND HAVING ATTACHED MAGNETIC FIELD RESPONSIVE MEMBERS ADJACENT EACH END OF THE ARMATURE IN A TRANSVERSE MANNER TO THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF SAID ARMATURE. 